Essence Of Maha Bhagavatha Purana

Incarnation of Vamana and suppresion of King Bali

On Sukla Sravana Dwadasi-the twelfth day of the bright moon’s fortnight –in the month of Bhadra was thus born as Lord Vamana  to Aditi and Kasyapa Prajapathi at the most auspicious time. At His Thread Ceremony, the Dwarf Brahmin Boy shone with extraordinary radiance, when the Sun God uttered the Gayatri Mantra, Brihaspati gave the Sacred Thread, Kasyapa Muni a straw belt, Mother Earth a deer skin, Moon the ‘Brahma danda’ the representative rod of a Brahmachari, Aditi a cloth as ‘kaupina’( underwear), Lord Brahma a Waterpot, Goddess Sarasvati provided a string of ‘Rudrakshamala’, the Seven Sages a Kusa Grass mat, the Presiding Deity of Sky an umbrella, and Demi-God of Wealth, Kubera, a bowl for beseeching alms.

Lord Vamana attended the ‘Asvamedha Yagna’ ( Horse Sacrifice Function) organised by King Bali and the latter was pleased to grant the Brahmachari any wish, as he was the Chief of three fourths of the Universe! The Dwarf Boy asked for mere three feet of land! Guru Sukracharya got suspicious as the request was unusual, but King Bali dismissed the warnings of the Guru saying that if Lord Vishnu Himself made the desire, he would never hesitate, as after all, the Sage Dadhichi gave away his backbone and King Sibi a pound of flesh from his thighs, all for the benefit of the Universe. Guru Sukracharya made a last bid of entering the vessel to stop the flow of water as the symbol of giving away the three feet of place in charity to the Dwarf Brahmana by the King but the Lord was too clever for the Guru and pierced a grass piece ( Kusa) into the latter’s eye which got blinded forever.Thus concluded the ceremony of the charity, when the Lord expanded the body to strech his two feet- one on the Earth, another on the skies; as the third foot was not possible to be accommodated any where else-Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka- the King volunteered to place it on his head which was pushed down to the sub-terrain under-world of Rasatala. As the Lord was extremely pleased with the devotion of King Bali, He blessed him to reside in Rasatala as an Illustrious King, and transformed the Place as comfortable and glorious as the Heaven itself as per the order to Visvakarma. Indeed the place was on the soles of the feet of Lord Vishnu Himself! Therafter, the Demi- Gods regained their Titles and Thrones thus ending the temporary phase of Demons dominating the Heavens. Aditi was double greeted by  Devatas and Lord Vishu Himself for her initiative and perseverance, Sukracharya was exonerated of his indiscretions by Lord Vishnu, and the balance of power was reverted back to the position of equilibrium and status quo ante in the Universe.